Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-26
THE "WIuTL WOMAN"
THIS Ill OMENED SPECTER HOVER
ING AROUND THE GERMAN COURT.

Legendary Records of the vaterIand
The Banshee OF neutrality-suspicious.
in .BeIgium-Unlucky Thirteen-Silence
Regarding Misfortunes.
read lately in German newspaper that
much alarm is felt at the Berlin court over
the report that the "white woman" has been
seen lowering mysteriously around the en-.
virons Of the royal palace. Several Of the
noble courtiers absolutely affirm having laid
eyes On this i'll omened specter, the presence
OF which is popularity considered an intima.
ton that one or more members of the Hohen-
zollern family are nearing the borderland of
life. Present appearances give certain
peculiar flavor Of interest to this superstition.
The aged emperor is losing day by day the
little strength that Is left him, and although
he has been for long time successfully bat
Ting against death, displaying wonderful
energy and perseverance, 1t is no less fact
that his majesty will have very soon indeed
to succumb to the inevitable. The crown
prince, his son. IS also alleged to be on the
brink of the abyss; while Bismarck, who has
not drop of imperial blood in his veins, will,
it is said, be shortly compelled to pay Charon
his obolus "Trip across the gloomy Styx
The white woman plays prominent part
in the legendary records Of the vaterland
Goethe alluded to her, IL I mistake not, as "a
moving, living. starlit statue of snow, whose
face bore the message of doom to those who
were doomed 10 die" German records tell
that she starts to life on the eve of a national
disaster In the dark and semi-barbarous
epoch the barons, who saw the ghostly feat
o,,l if-+an 70 ar 4
don at once their coats Of mail, and with
sword in hand would muster together to
avert impending dangers from their hearths
and homes.
Many Of your readers are, doubtless, aware
that a somewhat similar superstition pre-
vailed in Ireland for centuries. There the
white woman was known as the banshee.,
On the eve of King Brian's death al Clon-
tort the apparition was seen gliding around
his palace at Kinkora- Whenever any MEM
Der OF an old Milesian family was stricken
with fatal illness, the phantom could, it is
recorded, be observed raising its gaunt arms
despairingly 70 the skies in the woods or
fields outside the house where the patient lay
should like to know, by the by, whether
the Germans owe this superstition to the
Irish, or whether the Irish owe il 70 the Ger
mans.
Here in Belgium superstition IS an article
Of faith which is accepted not merely By the
ignorant classes, but also by many Intelligent
and tolerably well educated persons II. for
instance. o. 4 breakfast or dinner party q
saltceler gets upset, some Of the guests throw
q few grains OF the spilled salt over their left
shoulders. the object Of this pantons!me be-
ing 70 save them from the i'll lucl, that would
be sure "a attend them If they had forgotten
going through such a ceremony, ! saw On
more occasions than one several ladies and
gentlemen very much troubled and even in
dignant on discovering tnse there was no salt
left them with which TO operate.
The cid French superstition relative to
thirteen as an unlucky number-although
such g superstition is in fragrant contradic-
ton with verse OF Sd Irish song which has
1t that there is luck in odd numbers, said
Rory O'Moc-s-fnds best Of believers CT sd